Data as of Nov 4, 2026.
DDFG vs PAUG: Cap, Buffer & Days Left
As of Nov 4, 2026 DDFG can fall 2.7% before its buffer engages and PAUG 2.4%.
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Net assets on Nov 4, 2026: $92m for Innovator Equity Dual Directional 15 Buffer ETF - Aug and $1.0bn for Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF - Aug.
DDFG: reference +2.6% since period start, fund +2.5%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +11.4%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
DDFG: reference +2.6% since period start, fund +2.5%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +11.4%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.PAUG: reference +2.6% since period start, fund +2.2%; buffer 0 to −15; cap +13.8%; Between buffer and cap. Data to Nov 4, 2026.
Data to Nov 4, 2026.Pair scorecard
Both cost 0.79% a year; PAUG is 10.9 times larger.
Points (pts) are percentage points.
| Measure | DDFG | PAUG |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | not published | +10.1% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Index fall to the buffer | 2.5% | |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | SPY | SPY |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.79% | 0.79% |
| Net assets | $92m | $1.0bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | not published | |
Window by window
| Total return | Gap to the reference's price return | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Window | DDFG | PAUG | DDFG | PAUG |
| 3 months | +1.1% | +0.7% | +1.4 pts | +1.1 pts |
| 6 months | – | +4.5% | – | 0.0 pts |
| 1 year | – | +10.1% | – | −3.5 pts |
| 3 years | – | +49.7% | – | −26.7 pts |
| Since launchNot the same days: DDFG Aug 2026 · PAUG Aug 2019 | +1.8% | +90.1% | +0.6 pts | −69.9 pts |
Each fund's gap is to its reference's price return, dividends left out: the basis the outcome period uses. – means no data for this window. Open this comparison in the app →
Side by side
As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
These are two different products. PAUG is a floor fund, which caps how far a holder can fall. DDFG is a buffer fund, which absorbs the first part of a fall and leaves everything below it with the holder.
Both are Innovator funds, so the difference between them is the terms rather than the house.
Where each one stands today
DDFG resets first, on Jul 31, 2027, 269 days from now; PAUG runs to Jul 31, 2027, 269 days. DDFG can still gain 8.4% before its cap, PAUG 11.1%. A fall from here reaches DDFG’s buffer after 2.7% and PAUG’s after 2.4%. Both track SPY, so what separates them is where each is in its own period.
DDFG
From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 8.4% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 2.7% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 2.5% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 15.0% of the 15.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 269 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Jul 31, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.
PAUG
From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 11.1% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 2.4% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number.
Questions people ask
Links are sources, not endorsements. A comparison is not a recommendation.
How this is computed
ETFIQ calculates every number from each issuer’s published outcome-period terms. Buffer ETFs hold options on an index, not shares, so there is no holdings overlap to report.
Every number is an ETFIQ calculation with distributions reinvested.
Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown
ETFIQ, DDFG against PAUG, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/ddfg-vs-paug
ETFIQ. (Nov 4, 2026). DDFG against PAUG. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/ddfg-vs-paug
[DDFG against PAUG (ETFIQ, Nov 4, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/buffer/ddfg-vs-paug)
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